SpaceX’s Starship rocket made history by successfully catching its booster after returning to the launch pad. This achievement brings the company closer to its goal of creating fully reusable rockets.

In a recent test flight, the Super Heavy booster, the lower part of the rocket, flew back to the launch site. Massive mechanical arms attached to the launch tower caught the booster. SpaceX engineers celebrated, calling it “a day for the history books.”

This achievement is part of SpaceX’s broader strategy to gather valuable data through early launches, even with the expectation of occasional failures. This method has proven effective in accelerating development, as seen in two recent test flights. Less than a year ago, Starship’s first flight ended in an explosion shortly after launch, but these failures are seen as essential steps in fine-tuning the technology.

The fifth test flight began similarly to previous attempts, with the booster and the Ship part of the rocket separating almost three minutes after liftoff. The booster then turned back toward the launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas.

With only minutes left before landing, it remained unclear whether the catch attempt would proceed, as engineers performed last-minute checks. Once given the green light, cheers erupted from the mission control team.

SpaceX had outlined that thousands of parameters needed to align perfectly for the attempt. As the Super Heavy booster re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, its 33 Raptor engines fired to slow the descent from extreme speeds. Approaching the 146-meter-high (480-foot) landing tower, the booster appeared to float, with orange flames surrounding it as it settled neatly into the waiting mechanical arms.

Meanwhile, the Ship, designed to carry equipment and crew for future missions, continued its journey. After separating from the booster, it ignited its own engines and completed a successful landing in the Indian Ocean approximately 40 minutes later.

Starship lifted off from its launchpad in Texas for its fifth test flight at sunrise local time

“Ship landed precisely on target! Second of the two objectives achieved,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared on social media.

In addition to these accomplishments, SpaceX unexpectedly managed to preserve parts of the rocket’s hardware, further demonstrating progress toward its ultimate goal of developing a fully reusable rocket system.

Environmental Concerns Arise Over Rocket Emissions

One of the most significant pollutants from rockets is black carbon. Dr. Marais explains that SpaceX’s Starship rocket uses liquid methane as fuel. Since liquid methane is a relatively new propellant, researchers still lack comprehensive data on the emissions it produces.

Higher Altitude Emissions

Black carbon becomes more problematic because rockets release it at much higher altitudes than airplanes. When released hundreds of miles into the atmosphere, black carbon particles can stay there for a longer time. This extended presence can lead to a more significant impact on the climate than emissions from typical aircraft.